All Things Romantic Suspense Tour: Ursula Grey

Ursula Grey answers my questions.

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I was a wee lass. The magic contained in the books of my childhood made me want to become a writer. I loved visiting my local public library and leaving with an armful of books. Still do.

2. How did you pick the genre you write in?

So far I've written a mainstream contemporary romance with elements of suspense, and also three erotic historical romances. I'd like to try my hand at something more literary one day. I write what I like to read!

3. What’s your favorite quote?

One of my favorite quotes is by English novelist, George Eliot: "It's never too late to be who you might have been." I find it very inspirational in that it mirrors my personal philosophy regarding the pursuit of happiness. I think it's always important to have a goal to accomplish or a dream to make come true.

4. What authors do you admire?

Several actually! They cross different genres, and in no particular order, some of my favorite novelists are: Rose Tremain, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, Joanne Harris, and Sandra Gulland. Now that I have a Kindle I've started to explore lesser known Indie authors whose work I find impressive. I love how online publishing has leveled the playing field. It provides authors with a platform to share their work and let readers decide who and what they like.

5. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?

Definitely Greece, specifically the island of Crete. I am fascinated by the culture of the early Minoans, the first advanced civilization of Europe. They were a peaceful and artistic people. I'd really love to visit the Palace of Knossos, see the amazing wall frescoes, and basically walk in the footsteps of the ancients!

6. What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?

I wouldn't mind visiting the island of Crete during the height of the Minoan civilization. Also love French civilization and culture ~ any time period would work for me. Attending a gala at the Palace of Versailles sounds perfect!

7. What do you do when you are not writing?

I'm either working, and when I'm not doing that, I'm reading, relaxing, or planning my next vacation.

8. Who is your greatest cheerleader?

My husband. He has great faith in my abilities as a writer. Most encouraging he is ~ I think he hopes I'll be wildly successful one day so that we can quit our day jobs and travel the world. (I'm working on it, honey.)

9. What would you like to learn to do that you haven’t?

I'd love to become proficient in the French language. I've taken classes during college, refresher courses here and there…I think the only way to really learn the language is by immersing myself in the culture. Okay, what that really means is that I need to move to France. Did I mention that I am a Francophile?

10. What is your favorite writing reference book and why?

If we're talking craft, so far it's Writing Tools, 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark. If you need inspiration or encouragement, it's Becoming a Writer, by Dorothea Brande.



Author Bio:

A writer of romance and erotica, Ursula Grey has always been fascinated by the written word. A Northern transplant, she now resides in the sultry South with her husband and crazy tween puppy. When not at work, she is either reading, writing, relaxing, practicing yoga, or in route to France. Her ebooks are available at Amazon, Are, Mobipocket, Bookstrand, eXcessica and Noble Romance Publishing.





Book Blurb:

Adelaide anticipates an uneventful journey—however, the man sharing her stagecoach has other ideas. Will Adelaide acquiesce to the unusual demands placed upon her by the mysterious stranger? She quickly comes to the realization that Mr. Winters wants not only to dominate her time—but her body, as well. Will she have the courage to submit?



Buy link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-adelaide039sadventure-521341-144.html

All Things Romantic Suspense Blog Tour: Rachel Haimowitz

Rachel was kind enough to give me a preview of an upcoming short story from an anthology she is working on. This is exciting because lots of authors won't share their works in progress, so I am honored.

He is a strange boy, quiet and shy for all his clear intelligence—a “spark” that, even in the three short days he’s been here, has become obvious to everyone but himself. He doesn’t talk much, not to his betters and not even to us, but I can tell he’s always thinking, wondering, watching and listening and touching when he thinks nobody will see. He has a book in one slim hand now, the fingers of the other running over its cover, its spine, fingering its pages. I want to tell him it’s okay, that he can read it if he wants to, that it and all the others in this room are here for the likes of us. But I’m afraid I’d scare him away, and anyway he hasn’t learned to read yet.


But he counts well, knows more math than I do, and I’m a whole year older than him.

He puts the book down, back on the shelf exactly how he found it with a nervous care that makes something twist inside my chest. I wonder if he had to tiptoe around his old master’s house with such care. I even asked him about that his first night here, in that roundabout, unobtrusive, therapeutic sort of way they teach us Companions. “My master’s been dead a long time,” he said, avoiding my question deftly, eyes down, his long skinny fingers playing at the fabric of his pants. I think he didn’t like them; he’d been dressed in real finery when Master Krantz had brought him in, but of course we’re not allowed to keep things like that. Despite the clothes, I think he came from a Bad Place. A very, very Bad Place.

His hands are empty now, one trailing across a row of books as he takes slow, measured steps across the study lounge, the other curled over his shoulder, trying to soothe a healing welt. I wonder, for a moment, how those hands would feel on my shoulders. He’s a pretty little thing, skinny as he is. But we all are, us Companions-in-training. I’ve heard my teachers talking; they want to get their hands on him too. But Master Krantz says he bought him for Bigger Things.
-------
Blurb:
Still, I’d like to make him feel good. He looks so sad, standing over there all by himself. Lost, too. This isn’t his world, and until he has his letters, it never can be. But the way his calloused fingers caress the books, I know it won’t be long. He wants to be one of those boys studying at the table in the corner, surrounded by history and politics and current events. He wants to learn of the freemen’s world, and service it in ways that I never will. He wants those Bigger Things Master Krantz talked of.
Network news anchor Daniel Halstrom is at the top of his field, but being at the bottom of the social ladder—being a slave—makes that hard to enjoy. Especially when NewWorld Media, the company who's owned him since childhood, decides to lease him on evenings and weekends to boost their flagging profits.


Daniel's not stupid; he knows there's only one reason a man would pay so much for what little free time he has, and it's got nothing to do with his knowledge of current events. But he's never been made to serve like that before, and he fears he won't survive the experience with his sanity intact.

He finds himself in the home of Carl Whitman, a talk show host whose words fail him time and again when it comes to ordering Daniel to bed. Daniel knows what Carl wants, but it seems as if Carl isn't willing to take it, and Daniel's not willing to give it freely. His recalcitrance costs him dearly, but with patience and some hard-won understanding, love just might flourish where once there'd been only fear and pain. Can Carl become the anchor in Daniel's turbulent life, or will he end up the weight that sinks his slave for good?

(Content warning: This book contains potentially triggering subject matter, including a violent rape that is NOT committed by either hero. Please take heed.)

Anchored is available at Noble Romance Publishing and Amazon.com.

Rachel is an M/M erotic romance author and a freelance writer and editor. She originally dipped her toes into cable news and book publishing, decided the water was cold and smelled kinda funny, and moved on to help would-be authors polish and publish, write for websites and magazines, and ghostwrite nonfiction.
Her first novel, an M/M fantasy erotic romance titled Counterpoint: Book One of Song of the Fallen, released in August 2010 with Guiltless Pleasure Publishing. Her second novel, an M/M alternate-history erotic romance titled Anchored: Belonging Book One, released January 17 with Noble Romance Publishing. Her third, Crescendo: Book II of Song of the Fallen, will release in the fall of 2011. In between, Rachel is writing shorts and novellas, including the M/M BDSM collection Sublime: Collected Shorts, and a not-yet-released cyberpunk novella titled Break and Enter, co-written with Aleksandr Voinov.
You can find Rachel tweeting as RachelHaimowitz, chatting in the Goodreads forums, and blogging at Rachel-Haimowitz.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from folks, so feel free to drop her a line anytime at metarachel (at) gmail (dot) com.

ExcerpTuesday: Janice Seagraves

Bio: I was told to tell a little bit about myself, so here we go:

My name is Janice Seagraves. I’ve been married to the same man for thirty-one years. We live in the same small California town where I was born and grew up. We have one daughter who is just grown but still lives with us. Our home is a hundred year old haunted house (not kidding). We are owned by an overly affectionate cat, a handicapped dove, and a pigeon that is in love with my husband (also not kidding).



I’ve been writing toward publication for eleven years. Windswept Shores is my first book; the genre is erotic contemporary or contemporary erotic. Or is that the same thing? *scratches head* But there is a plot. It’s not just about the sex, folks. J And I think you can guess there is a little humor too.



I write mostly romance but of various genres: soft sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary with some suspense elements, along with a little humor to make it more interesting. J



Janice’s website: http://janiceseagraves.org/

Windswept Shores’ buy link:

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=66

Windswept Shores Blurb:

The sole survivor of a plane crash, Megan is alone on a deserted island in the Bahamas until she finds a nearly-drowned man washed up on shore. Another survivor, this time from a boat wreck. With only meager survival skills between them, will they survive and can they find love?



Excerpt:

Megan felt a ripple of muscles under her hand. Running her fingers higher, she found a nipple, then another one. The warm skin was smooth. Good. I hate a hairy chest. A belly button was at the bottom end of an even set of bumps. Oh, a six pack. Her caresses seemed to wonder back to the nipples, which hardened under her touch.

“Stop, luv, or I’ll be forced to return the favor,” Seth breathed.

Megan jerked her hand back like she’d touched a hot stove. Realizing she was spooning him, she scooted away. Heat started in her face, running all the way down her neck and chest. Oh, God, what am I doing? “Um, er, sorry, I-I was half asleep,” she stuttered.

“Hmm, a good excuse for a fondle,” he murmured as he rolled toward her.

In the pre-dawn light, she saw he wore nothing but his briefs, and he was happy to be there.

“Megz, this is killing me.”

She jerked her gaze to his face. “Maybe one of us should sleep in the bunk beds.”

“Can’t, luv. My feet hang off the end.”

“What did you do when Bill was alive?”

“I let ‘em hang. Bill was captain and entitled to the big bed.”

“I’m little enough to sleep in there.”

“You can’t climb up to the top bunk with yer hurt leg, and it’s the only one with a mattress.” He moved against her, slipping an arm around her waist, murmuring, “I reckon there’s something else we can share, besides sleeping arrangements.”

“Seth. Don’t. Please,” she said, afraid he would kiss her. When he moved away, she found herself disappointed. What is wrong with me? Visions of him seducing her flooded her mind. She bit her lip, trying to look anywhere but at his passion filled gaze.

“Megz, you know he’s dead.”

“No, I don’t!” she snapped. Tears filled her eyes.

“If he isn’t, I reckon he appreciates your faithfulness.” He got up to use the bathroom. Shortly, she heard water running.

“He never has before,” she whispered.

Thanks for stopping by Janice.
book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XUAMBhl76k

Cris Anson for ExcerpTuesday!

Today I invite a fellow Cris/Chris/Kris to my blog to share an excerpt.

Blurb for WHAT SHE NEEDS:
Debut erotic romance author Delia needs to research BDSM. A former Dom offers to teach her some basics, and she gets more than she bargained for when Kurt adds his business partner to her instruction. But an innocent misstep brings Delia’s world crashing down around her. Can she trust Kurt with her heart…and her life?



Excerpt of WHAT SHE NEEDS:
Delia turned to glare at the man who had intruded on her reunion with folks she’d only known online, but one look at him—in a dove-gray dress shirt with sleeves rolled up, no tie, and tailored black slacks— made her think, Uh-oh, I’m in trouble here.

About six feet of hunkalicious man stared at her, all thunder and storm swirling in amber eyes that all but immobilized her. His mouth was a thin line of disapproval and his black brows echoed the line and the sentiment. Even the nose, slightly askew, probably from a badly healed fracture, added to the air of danger surrounding him.

Hair as black as the devil’s heart scraped back into a short ponytail except for a wayward swath down his forehead could not soften the severity of his gaze, yet Delia felt only electricity zinging between them. It was an uncomfortable feeling, a cross between a butterfly pinned to a specimen board and a ripe peach waiting to be sucked.

Then his expression softened as his gaze took in the bright reddish-purple of her bruise. He lifted a long-fingered hand to her face but did not touch her. “A slave of your beauty and delicacy should be treated with reverence. May I show you how a true Master treats his property?”

Delia’s tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. This hunk was calling her a beauty? Calling her delicate? Ye gods, was he a real-life Dom? Sure, Delia had read all about D/s relationships. Heck, BDSM was an erotic romance author’s stock in trade. But actually be a slave? She was in waaaay over her head here.

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know the first thing about the Master/slave bond, do you.”

It didn’t sound like a question, because Delia was sure he already knew the answer.

“You are an erotic romance…reader? Writer?”

“She’s a published author,” Judith chimed in. “Her first book just came out and you can buy it this weekend at the book fair. Her name is Delia Barnes. And you’re right, she’s unfamiliar with that lifestyle.”

If Delia had held a gun in her hands, Judith’s lifeblood would be flowing out of her belly right about now. She flashed a silent warning to her critique partner, who blithely ignored her as she smiled up at him from her five-foot-nothing height.

“And you are…?”

The man had the temerity to bow like an eighteenth century courtier. “Master Kurt, at your service.”

“Well, Master Kurt, are you staying at this hotel?” Judith’s question. Delia vowed to add poison to Judith’s next pomegranate martini.

“I am.”

“Then perhaps you’ll find a few minutes to explain some basics to Delia here.”

Master Kurt turned to Delia. “It would be my pleasure.” His gaze skittered past her and his eyes gave some kind of signal, but Delia would be damned if she’d turn around and check out what he was doing.

“Delia Barnes.” His deep voice purring her name stroked her down to her toes. She couldn’t deny that his voice, his stare, his commanding presence had already started the cream flowing between her legs. She’d need more than a snorkel, she’d need full scuba gear if he kept that up.

“Delia, I am going to give you your first lesson in being a proper slave.” Gently placing his long fingers on her shoulders, he turned her around then leaned over her shoulder to whisper into her ear.



Short bio of Cris Anson:

After the death of my husband of 22 years, it took me three years to come out of my grief and feel alive and open to new experiences. Now I consider myself a senior citizen and “cougar” —hey, one is never too old to dream about, or experience, romance.

I enjoy my garden during warm days and have just discovered Zumba for fun exercising. I’ve been writing since the ‘90s and read voraciously across all genres. I’ve published five erotic romance novels and two “Quickies” with Ellora’s Cave, plus a pair of contemporary novels featuring male twins with Cerridwen Press, their mainstream imprint. WHAT SHE NEEDS was released in July. Look for ADDING HEAT sometime this fall. Both of these are younger man-older woman novellas.

You can read excerpts of all my works at www.crisanson.com.

By the way, I’m thrilled to say that I posed for the cover of WHAT SHE NEEDS! If you want to know how it came about, go to Author Island to read my guest blog, “15 Minutes in Angelo’s Arms. http://tinyurl.com/2utkd2a

Authorsday - Cris Anson

Hot Hot Hot! Is how I describe how Cris Anson writes. Hotter than even Justin Beiber.

So here she is answering some questions for me today.

1. How did you pick the genre you write in?



Back at the turn of this century, I was published under another name and my editor kept telling me to tone down my love scenes. When I first heard about Ellora’s Cave, the company which put erotic romance on the publishing map, I was thrilled to know I could write as steamy as I wanted. Now reviewers call my work “incredibly, sinfully erotic”, “scorching hot”, “explosive and passionate”, “atomic fireball hot”—well, you get the picture.



2. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

Wish I didn’t, but it’s been seat of the pants for me. I start with two protagonists and, usually, an ending, and maybe an idea for just a scene or two. Period. That makes for lots of angst because I don’t know how to get where I’m headed, so I simply plod along until the characters come to life under my fingers. I don’t write the synopsis until I’ve written “The End” to any story. With PUNISHMENT AND MERCY, an erotic historical ménage from Ellora’s Cave released January 2010, I really struggled to come up with reasons to keep the characters apart and I kept sending chapters to my editor for comment and direction.

It wasn’t until I was invited to join the Ellora’s Cave Cougars (see Tempt the Cougar blog http://temptthecougar.blogspot.com/ ) that I had to write a synopsis for the group before actually writing the story to be sure I wasn’t duplicating anyone else’s ideas. Now, having a sketchy Trip-Tik for Giselle and Con’s story, I feel more in control of their destiny. Maybe this feeling will stay with me.



3. What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?



How much time it takes for promo. I used to think that being published was the Holy Grail. Now there’s a whole new set of goals: getting my name known, finding and enhancing my “brand”, getting my books reviewed, doing blogs and interviews, having a website and a presence on MySpace, Facebook and other social networks, arranging book-signings, attending conferences with an eye to meeting new readers. And oh yes, actually doing the writing so that I can keep my name before the readers.



4. Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?



See #1. When I submitted my first “hot” book to Ellora’s Cave, it took nine months for them to acknowledge my submission (it got lost twice what with editorial turnover and growing pains) but I was determined to be published by the premier publisher of erotic romance. Finally, in January 2005, DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS was released and I’ve been with EC ever since. I’ve done five full-length novels and two “Quickies”, with a Cougar novella coming up plus two books (romantic suspense and contemporary romance) for their mainstream imprint, Cerridwen Press. By the way, all of these are still available in downloads, and most are in print as well.



5. Describe your book.



PUNISHMENT AND MERCY takes place in 1694 Massachusetts Bay Colony. A young widow is flogged in public for sexual congress outside matrimony, and her irate father forces her marriage to a blacksmith. But the blacksmith’s apprentice falls in love with her. What’s a woman to do when she winds up loving them both? A reviewer (4.5 hearts, Shannon, The Romance Studio) says: “I dare any reader to have a dry eye by the end of this captivating story!”



Also, I just sold an older woman/younger man story to EC, tentatively entitled WHAT SHE NEEDS. A debut erotic romance author meets a Dom who wants to teach her the finer points of D/s—for research purposes, of course. They “click”, but horrors in their respective pasts lead to a frightening incident that breaks the fragile bond of trust between them.



6. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?



I like to think I’m good at dialogue, description, mood setting and emotional impact. The last draft before sending it on to my editor consists of going through the manuscript line by line, searching for weak words and substituting those with power, action and/or emotion. My problem is plot (which is why I write seat-of-the-pants style). Oh, and I’m a stickler for punctuation and spelling.



7. What’s your favorite quote?



Attributed to Shaquille O’Neal: “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” In other words, Go for it. Don’t stop writing. Don’t ever give up.



8. What was your favorite scene to write?



Probably the beginning of DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS. I kept playing the music from Richard Strauss’ opera, SALOME, and envisioning the divorced, poor-self-image heroine, who was cajoled into attending an adult costume party, doing her own dance to that music with her own seven veils. This was the moment she realized she was a desirable woman and thus began her own coming-of-age story at the age of 39.



9. What was the hardest scene to write?



There’s a hospital scene in my Cerridwen book, SECOND BEST (the “bad” twin’s story, the sequel to FIRST TO DIE, with the “good” twin), where the hero is forced to make a “Sophie’s Choice” kind of decision between the two people he loves most in the world. I cried buckets while writing that. Here’s a typical reader reaction: “I sobbed watching Jack choose what was asked of him…” (5 bookmarks, Natalie S., Wild on Books)



10. Who is your greatest cheerleader?



It was, without a doubt, my late husband, Ed. As sick as he was (bedridden with emphysema for the last eight years of his life), he always had words of encouragement when I needed them, and he delighted in sharing my every triumph, whether simply finishing a chapter or first draft, or receiving a good review or that welcome royalty check. I’m grateful he was able to see my first two erotic romances published. I still miss him, but I know he’s still proud of every small or large success I achieve.



Author Bio

After the death of my husband of 22 years, it took me three years to come out of my grief and feel alive and open to new experiences. Now I consider myself a senior citizen and “cougar” —hey, one is never too old to dream about, or experience, romance. I’ve been writing since the ‘90s and read voraciously across all genres. I enjoy my garden during warm days and have just discovered Zumba for fun exercising. My wish list includes sleeping on the floor of the Grand Canyon and dancing a tango or two with Gilles Marini.



Book Blurb):



DANCE OF THE ROGUE, the final book in my DANCE series



Love-’em-and-leave-’em bad-boy Rolf has met his match, and she’s nothing like his usual dalliances. Older, plus-sized Fantine embraces her curves and her femininity. A weekend of pleasure that begins as a sizzling sexual distraction sparks a connection neither wants to relinquish. Fantine brings Rolf a link to the dark-eyed, dark-haired father he always suspected was his, not the blond-haired, blue-eyed sire of his brothers. Amid the joy of learning of his new family and a relationship of steamy sexuality and deep emotions, Rolf becomes the man he never thought he could be, and the lover of Fantine’s deepest fantasies.

http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7517-14-dance-of-the-rogue.aspx

ExcerpTuesday - Macie Carter

Today I welcome Macie Carter, an author of erotic romance. This books sounds like a lot of fun!

Teasing the Muse – Erotic Romance – Cougar Club – The Wild Rose Press

Popular erotic romance writer, Page Burns, seems to have lost the “hotness” in her writing, or at least that’s what her editor informs her. Is it because of her self-imposed celibacy after a bitter divorce, or because she’s forty and just not interested? When she meets a handsome young stranger at one of her book signings, she decides what she really needs is a muse--in her bed. Fantasizing about the young man is just enough to revitalize some of her sizzling words. Can a forty year-old woman bed a man ten years her junior? Should she even try? But what Page doesn’t realize is that she’s not the only one fantasizing about teasing the muse...

Excerpt:
“I don’t want to become one of the divorce crazies—the women who hop from bed to bed just to prove they’re still desirable. Sex with the faceless stranger. Hell! I even wrote about it.”
“Your first book. I remember. You wrote it when
you were happily married to Mark.”
Page didn’t say anything. She was thinking about how much Myra had helped with that first book. Page stared at her new manuscript inundated with little yellow slips of paper.
Myra patted the stack of papers. “It doesn’t need
a lot of rewrite, Page,” she said. “The plot and the
characters are strong—your usual. It’s just the...Well, that’s what the stickies are—areas I’ve marked for changes.”
“I get it. I get it,” Page said more upset with
herself than her editor. “I have the hotel room for
two more days. I was going to meet my college roommate after the conference but she called last night to cancel. Story of my life. Good thing I didn’t check-out. Hotel room with room service—so no distractions. I’ll sit in the room and rewrite and rewrite and...”
An hour later Page was in the hotel’s large banquet room. Twenty long tables had been set up, each table had four authors and stacks of books. Page and three other “name” authors had their own smaller tables. Page’s books sat on either side of the basket of candy kisses and prophylactics she always had at her signings. She no longer needed chocolate and condoms to lure potential buyers to her books, but tradition was tradition and it was her way of promoting safe sex.
She had just finished signing for one flustered octogenarian when she looked up into a pair of dark green eyes. A man stood over her, a book in one hand and a hard hat in the other resting on his hip. Page took in his blue work shirt and dusty jeans. His dark hair was long and curled around a handsome face, a face that hadn’t seen even thirty years.
“Ms. Burns,” he said, handing her the book. His voice was deep with a slight southern accent. She took the book from him and brushed against his hand feeling a sudden electric surge.

Bio:
Macie Carter is the pen name of award-winning author, Mitzi Flyte. After writing essays, mysteries, horror and paranormal short stories, Mitzi decided to stretch her writing muscles with something completely different. Teasing the Muse, to be released from The Wild Rose Press on March 26, is Mitzi’s first erotic novella.
Mitzi received her first rejection when she was twelve, many years ago; however, that didn’t stop her from writing and submitting. A member of Liberty States, she’s been the President of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and the Pocono Lehigh Romance Chapter of Romance Writers of America. When she’s not writing, Mitzi’s the Vice President of Nursing for a nursing home management company. She lives in Allentown, PA with two feline companions who have yet to critique her work.